People who lack respect

July 4, 2014

We know Minot is changing. Everyone knows the city is having growing pains brought on by the rapid influx of residents and new businesses, most of it fueled by the growth of the oil industry. We know Minot is not the same city it was a few years ago.

But good grief, that doesn't mean we expect some of the nonsense we reported on this past week.

- The Minot Police Department said that a man in his 20s with baggy pants, a black, hooded sweatshirt and a dark-colored goatee snatched an 89-year-old woman's purse in the parking lot of the Minot Wal-Mart Wednesday at around 8:30 a.m.

- Two unidentified men were assaulted Friday at around 10 p.m. in the 3200 block of Second Street Southeast in Minot, the police report. According to a statement, one of the victims shouted "slow down" in the direction of a pearl white-colored Chevrolet Silverado four-door pickup truck as it allegedly was speeding through the neighborhood. The vehicle then allegedly stopped and two men exited the vehicle and assaulted the victims.

Swiping a purse from an 89-year-old woman? Assaulting two men because they told you to slow down? Come on. What is wrong with people?

As police continue to investigate these two incidents, we expect to hear the same complaints in website comments about how big oil is ruining this state. Those who make those statements forget that Minot and other western North Dakota cities have always had their fair share of local hooligans, too. Whether you work for a big, out-of-state oil company or a small, local firm, the problem still boils down to one thing:?People who have no respect for others, and that is a far bigger concern. Unfortunately, those types of folks are everywhere; Minot is not immune.